Researchers are urging health associations to stop accepting sponsorships from formula companies to mitigate the influence of the commercial milk formula (CMF) industry on breastfeeding rates in the country. 

A recent study published in the Journal of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa noted that CMF industry’s involvement with health associations is not without conflict, noting that it can “threaten the autonomy and integrity of health professionals and their associations, potentially leading them to intentionally or inadvertently prefer or recommend CMF, or prescribing specialised CMF when these are unnecessary.”

“We’re not just calling on healthcare professionals, but also researchers, scientists, academics, universities to ensure that they don’t allow commercial milk formula manufacturers to promote their products by sponsoring associations and events organised by health professionals,” says Dr Katie Pereira-Kotze, Research Consultant at the Health Systems Research Unit of the South African Medical Research Council.

South Africa’s rate of breastfeeding exclusively for babies under six dropped from 36% in 2016 to an estimated 22% in 2022. This falls short of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) fifty percent target for exclusive breastfeeding across the globe in 2025. 

According to the National Department of Health (NdoH), new tactics in the marketing of breastmilk substitutes, including online marketing and health worker attitudes are some challenges to increasing the rates of breast-feeding. 

The study also notes that when health experts and their groups get money from the CMF industry, this creates a conflict of interest (COI) and a subconscious duty. This could make health professionals more likely to support the industry’s commercial interests and marketing.

The CMF industry likely targets healthcare workers because for most parents, these  are the first experts they meet when they become mothers. 

“There is often a thin line between illegal tactics that break local and global marketing rules or legal loopholes that are completely wrong. Targeting health care workers in various ways is especially insidious because they know that caregivers, families, and communities rely on and trust the advice from them,” explains Angelika Grimbeek, Policy and Research Manager at the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA).

The researchers are calling on all healthcare facilities to join organisations such as the UCT Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, the United South African Neonatal Association and the Association for Dietetics in South Africa, “in setting a new standard for ethical conduct by publishing clear and strong public position statements aligned with global guidance”. 

About HEALA

HEALA is a coalition of civil society organisations advocating for equitable access to affordable, nutritious food in South Africa by building a more just food system.

For media interviews please contact:  

Zukiswa Zimela HEALA Communications Manager

0745210652 | zukiswa@heala.org